Tag: Cpr »

You know all those Apple commercials that feature a series of apps and then a word after each like "entertaining," "productive," and "artistic?" Well it seems you can add "life-saving" to the list as a basketball coach in Los Angeles used the iPhone Aid app to resuscitate a young player who nearly died during a game.

Xavier Jones collapsed during a high school basketball game, at which point coaches Eric Cooper Sr. and John Osorno rushed onto the court and, with the help of Phone Aid, began administering CPR. The two men kept the boy stabilized until paramedics arrived and were able to take him to the hospital. Jones is expected to make a full recovery.

Cooper had purchased the app just the night before, in what turned out to be an extremely fortuitous coincidence. "It was really fresh and clear in my brain," Cooper said of the life-saving technique. "We are trained in CPR, but the iPhone app was a stabilizer for us." At the hospital Jones was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a hardening of the heart muscles, which caused the near-fatal event.

It's situations like these which prove once again that the iPhone is so much more than a phone or a fancy gaming device, but can also be harnessed to really do some measurable good in the world. Though we can't say that Jones wouldn't have survived if his coach hadn't downloaded Phone Aid, having the app helped make sure that proper first aid was administered and a young man's life was allowed to continue, making it well worth the $1.99 asking price if you ask us. We wish Jones a speedy recovery and offer our heartfelt thanks to Entanke for creating such a wonderful app. This is a feel-good story if there ever was one.

We all know that CPR is a staple of hospital dramas and medical mysteries on television, but how many of us actually know and understand the science behind what is going on? For that matter, do you know how to perform it properly? Personally, I know that the process involves applying pressure to someone's chest repeatedly, while simultaneously providing them with oxygen, but as for how to properly perform the potentially lifesaving measures, I am completely in the dark.

However, for those that understand the process of CPR assisted resuscitation, they know that not only is this a difficult and often physically draining process, but it also requires attention to a wide variety of body cues as well as strict attention to timing. It is difficult enough to try to keeps ones head clear under such tremendous pressure to begin with, so why not make the process a little easier with the help of the breakthrough new app CPR PRO from Ivor Medical.

Through a series of visual and auditory cues, the program will aid rescuers in trying to make the most of a chaotic situation. How does it actually work, you ask? Ivor Medical breaks it down like this:

Visual and audio prompts

Metronome to pace chest compressions

Rate detection of actual compressions

Detection of number of compressions

Prompts to give two rescue breaths over 1 second, after the detection of 30 chest compressions

Two modes of operation, 30:2 and PRO – to be used when the airway is secured or if unwilling/unable to provide mouth-to-mouth ventilations

Elegant and soothing design

Designed to work with CPR PRO cradle for iPhone by Ivor Medical

Basic Life Support algorithm with photos

Complete Instructions for Use

When you combine use of the application with the patent pending, new CPR PRO Cradle, not only will you see the benefits of the program itself, but it will also help to protect your body against fatigue during this tiring process.

"Rescuers grasp the two sides of the device with their palms, so that their hands are in line with their shoulders. Due to this natural hand position, it takes less power to perform accurate compressions and rescuers get tired less quickly." -- via CPR PRO Cradle product description

There is one important thing to note when using a app of this nature: though it offers basic on-screen instructions to the resuscitation process, CPR PRO is no replacement for formal CPR training. For a mere $1.99, this is a download that could literally be a lifesaver.